A COPY of VERSES PRESENTED BY Isaac Rag, Bellman, To his MASTERS and MISTRESSES of Holbourn Division, In the Parish of St. Giles' in the Field.  

PROLOGUE  

Time (Master) calls your Bell man to his Task,  
To see your Doors and Windows are all Fast,  
And that no Villainy or Foul Crime are done  
To you nor yours in absence of the Sun:   

If any base Lurker I do meet,  
In private Alley, or in open Street,  
You shall have warning by my timely Call,  
And so God Bless you, and give Rest to all.    

St. Andrew.  
ST. ANDREW Suffered on the Cross,  
And did not think his Life a loss  
To gain Eternal Life thereby,  
Knowing that Christ upon the Cross did Die,  
To save both him, and you, and me,  
For which good Cause let's Thankful be.   

King CHARLES' the First's Brithday.  
This Day was Born a Prince of High Renown,  
No less than Heir unto Great Britain's Crown,  
Whose Pious Actions through Europe Rings,  
And was a Pattern to all Christian Kings:  
His Youth and Age were prone to things Divine,  
Of ●ods great Grace a most apparent Sign,  
But God was pleased for to Eclipse his Rays,  
and Crown his Head with an Immortal Bays.   

St. Thomas' day.  
To Unbelieving Thomas Christ did say,  
O! Be not Faithless, but believe this day  
That I am he that late was Crucifi'd,  
And Rose again that thou mightst be Justified,  
And not only thou, but all that do believe  
That I am he, doubtless shall now receive  
A full Remission for the Sins, which they  
Have ever done, Amen, Lord, I obey.   

Christmas-day.  
This Morning Issued forth of Mary's Womb,  
The Infant Jesus, God's Eternal Son,  
That Priest, that Prophet, and that King anointed,  
Whom God for our Redemption had appointed;  
So Infinite was Adam's Debt before,  
That only God himself must pay the Score.  
For his sake then, observe this Day, whose Birth  
Has proved our only Sovereign cause of Mirth.   

St. John.  
St. John that Holy Evangelist Divine,  
Whose Gospel over all the World doth shine,  
Converted Heathens, was Christ Bosom Friend,  
And Preached Pardon to all that did offend,  
Gists of the Spirit God to him had given,  
And now remains a Blessed Saint in Heaven.   

Childermas-day.  
By this days Memory is understood,  
The Vintage that was made of Infant's Blood,  
here was up in Arms through all the Coast  
Of Bethlehem, against the Lord of Host.  
And Infants in Pursuit of the Virgin's Son,  
Did suffer the Glorious Acts of Martyrdom.   

 depiction of a bellman   

New-Years day.  
Now Winters Aged Face is Withering,  
The New-Year's come to usher in the Spring;  
The Earth prepares to put on fresh attires,  
To move affections and Inflame desires:  
And to set forth the Beauty of this New-Year,  
A new change will in every thing appear;  
'twere good too, in bad Lives, a change to see,  
He that is good, let him no Changeling be.   

King Charles' the Second.  
What more to Loyalty may Subjects win,  
Then the attribute of goodness in a King;  
The which in ours, what Heart but may discern,  
What King so good, that from him might not Learn,  
His Mercy, Love, and Clemency to all,  
Exceedeth, and is more than Natural;  
And as in Virtue's great he doth excel,  
May he convince all Hearts to wish him well.   

For a Frost.  
But first when Winter's keenest breath began  
To Christalize the Baltic Ocean;  
To stop the Lakes, and Bridle up the Floods,  
And perriwigg the Bark of the Ball-pate Woods;  
Our Grandsire then began to Shiver,  
His Teach did Chatter, and his Beard did Quiver,  
Saying, I could wish there were Handsome Women too,  
But I am Old, and Cold, and cannor do.   

Any Day.  
Give me Transcending all the Pious Heart,  
That firmly standeth for Religious Art,  
God's Honour, Holy Conversation,  
For Faith and Virtue's Propagation,  
For Justice, Charity, and chaste desire,  
And all such like, that unto Heaven aspire,  
And Loyalty not the least among them Crowned,  
Who serves God right, is to his Sovereign sound.   

On the Thirtieth of January.  

What Fatal Comet did this day portend  
The Death of Charles our Royal King and Friend;  
What Actors Vile contrived for to betray  
His Crown and Sceptre, which they should Obey;  
And must he be brought to his Palace Gate,  
There for to Suffer a Prodigious Fate;  
Must nothing but his Sacred Blood Suffice,  
To quench the Fury of their Villainies;  
Then let us go on to Exercise;  
The Laws on them that Government despise.   

Tothth' Holy Temple of your Hearts repair,  
There never was more need to join in Prayer;  
The Boar and Wolf, are Whispering with the Fox,  
Against the Royal and the Orthodox;  
Past Whispering in their Hearts, they call a loud  
Rebellion, her old Way, through her Blue Cloud,  
To bring the old mischief on us, and Renew  
That which the Child Unborn may already Rue.   

Most Gracious Lord, may so thy Mercy be,  
That all may in thy real Truth agree,  
That there may be no difference, nor division,  
Neither in State, nor matters of Religion;  
And as there's but one God, one Faith, one Baptism,  
What ever be the Dreams of Sects, and Schism,  
So Frame us, as our Ancestors have been,  
To one Church Government,  
And God Save the KING.    
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed by William Downing in Bartholomew-Close, 1683/4